What usually brings a Stoke-on-Trent enquiry in is an ExpressionEngine site that's either drifted along untouched, or one that's stopped behaving with the previous developer nowhere to be found.
Karl's who sorts that out, on his own. Expression 37's only ever worked in ExpressionEngine and Craft CMS, since Karl started it in 2007. You deal with him directly, not an account manager.
He works through what's actually there before recommending anything. What that shows decides whether it's a fix, an upgrade, or an ongoing retainer.
Where this comes up most:
Manufacturers and homeware businesses with large product catalogues that need proper categorisation and search, not just a long list of pages. Export-focused firms whose site needs to work reliably for international buyers, where downtime has a wider reach than a purely local business. Sites left behind by an agency that's stopped taking on ExpressionEngine work. And installs several major versions behind, where the real effort in upgrading is auditing every add-on individually. Manufacturers syncing orders through Salesforce or capturing trade leads in HubSpot need that connection maintained with the same care as the catalogue itself.
How engagements typically start:
Karl reviews the templates, add-ons, and catalogue structure before quoting, since these handovers rarely arrive with documentation worth trusting. Most people get in touch after something specific: a catalogue that's become unmanageable to update, a security notice about an outdated add-on, or a decision the site can't keep running unsupported. From there it's a scoped project or an ongoing retainer, priced upfront.
Common questions Stoke-on-Trent clients ask:
Does it matter that you're not based in Stoke-on-Trent?
Not for the work itself. Code review, deployment, testing, all handled remotely and it works well. Stoke is close enough that a face-to-face meeting is never a real obstacle when one's genuinely useful.
Our catalogue is large and complex, does that complicate a rebuild or upgrade?
It changes what needs proper attention. A large catalogue needs a sensible category structure and working search from day one, not something bolted on afterwards once it's already grown unmanageable.
Can you take over a site built by a developer no longer around?
Yes, regularly. The first step is establishing what's genuinely custom versus a modified add-on, which needs an actual read of the code rather than a guess.
How old can an ExpressionEngine install get before it's a real risk?
There isn't a hard threshold. Plenty of Stoke sites on EE2 or EE3 still function properly. What needs checking is whether the add-ons they depend on have kept pace, since that's usually where problems start.
What's included with ongoing support?
Priority response when something breaks, proactive checks rather than waiting for a fault, and a developer who already knows the site instead of starting cold.
What will this cost?
That's down to what's actually needed. A one-off audit or fix is a fixed price. Continuing support is a monthly retainer. Either way, agreed before anything begins.
Ready to get started?
If your website is business-critical and needs a specialist who will take proper long-term ownership of it, get in touch. Karl will respond personally and give you an honest view of how we can help.
